Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Pet Peeves

I don't have a pet named Peeves--although, that would be a really good name for a dog now that I think about it. Keep in mind, this is from a man who named his little terrier-poodle mix "Armageddon". (He was so little, he needed a big name)

I do, however, have things that bother me, though I can't always explain why. In my years of management experience, I've always tried to teach the principle of "you can't always choose how you will emotionally react to something, but you can choose how you will act on those emotions."

I did some research and found some common pet peeves. From those, I noted some that I share with other people.

These include:

People who don't use their turn signal.

Let me be upfront about this: I don't trust turn signals. Just because someone has their turn signal on, doesn't mean they will actually be turning. However, when I'm at a stop light in one of those lanes that can turn or go straight, and the person doesn't turn their signal on until after the light turns green, it bothers me.

Being asked my telephone number/account number after I already entered in using the keypad on my phone.

This annoys me almost as much as listening to about every automated message start with "Please listen carefully because our menu options have changed."

Hand in hand with this one is the automated messages that "act" like you are talking to a real person. For example when they say, "Please wait a moment while I look up your information" and then you hear the recording of someone typing on a keyboard.

The plastic packaging that requires a degree in engineering to open.

I can't count how many times I've cut my fingers on these types of packages.

Finding the end of a program hasn't recorded because its starting time was pushed back due to sports coverage running long.

This has gotten better over the years with DVR technology, but dang, for a while there, I would always allow extra time when recording things Saturday or Sunday evenings.

When someone leaves a voice message and they speak their phone number so fast there is no way you can get it from one listen.

Maybe it's just the dyslexic person in me, but I really struggle with this one.

Texting while driving

For heaven's sake! You are in control of a large moving object. Why not just put a blindfold over your eyes while you're driving. It's almost as safe.